‘Jumping the gun’: Date set to start MotoGP track build
Residents in the city’s east have been letterbox dropped about when work on the MotoGP track starts – but still have no idea where it will go or its cost.
Residents near the eastern park lands in the Adelaide CBD have been told work on building a new MotoGP Grand Prix track in their neighbourhood is expected to start in December this year, in government letters being dropped yesterday and today.
But they have raised concerns that the final track design is yet to be released, and the Treasurer was staying tight-lipped about how much it might cost when asked on ABC Radio Adelaide this morning.
South East City Residents Association treasurer Doug McEvoy told InDaily that he was concerned about the “environmental impact on the park” and believed locals deserved to know more about the plan.
“If they have a date set for December, they must have some clear ideas as to what’s required to get there,” he said, calling for an “independent environmental assessment”.
“We’re only four months away; they’ve done a lot of preparatory work.”
Residents have received a letter titled the Circuit Redevelopment Project that says the MotoGP circuit will use some elements of the historic Adelaide Grand Prix Formula One track; “the world’s first MotoGP Grand Prix to be held in a city centre location”.
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“The South Australian Motor Sports Board (SAMSB) is designing the redeveloped circuit and managing the associated events,” the letter reads.
“The Department for Infrastructure and Transport is responsible for delivery of the circuit and associated infrastructure upgrades on behalf of SAMSB.”
It said the circuit was still “in the design phase” and “site investigations will be carried out over the coming months”.
“The community will have an opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed circuit design when it is publicly released in the coming several weeks,” the letter reads.
“Construction is expected to commence in December 2026.”
Preliminary designs unveiled by Premier Peter Malinauskas at a press conference in February showed the track cutting through Victoria Park, before heading towards East Terrace, up Rundle Street towards Kent Town, along Dequetteville Terrace and back into Victoria Park. A final design of the track was yet to be released by the state government or MotoGP.
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Koutsantonis said this morning that “once we finalise the design work, we’ll make all of this public… but we’re still working through it”.
“This will be one of the most premier events in the Southern Hemisphere. There will be hundreds of millions of people watching this event, hundreds of thousands of people visiting this event,” he said.
SA Greens Leader Robert Simms MLC criticised the timelines, accusing the government of “jumping the gun”.
“They’re announcing that the project is going to proceed when we don’t even know what the costs are or the course map,” he said.
“It just seems that the government is hell-bent on pursuing this, and they’re not being transparent with the community around what it actually entails.”
SA Liberal Leader Ashton Hurn also called for more transparency around the plans, saying “Peter Malinauskas needs to be open about how much taxypayers will fork out for the track and, importantly, provide detail about exactly where he wants it to go”.
“The parklands belong to all South Australians, and there’s a huge level of concern and interest about this project. The more information released the better,” Hurn said.
While City of Adelaide Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith raised questions over the “hidden issues” in the design of the track.
“This proposal means a permanent change to a landscape we know and love. I encourage everyone to make a submission so that their voice can be heard,” Lomax-Smith said.
“The question of design poses other hidden issues. What are the permanent facilities and where will they go? How will the hospitality infrastructure and activity affect local property owners and ratepayers who are in the hospitality industry? How does it affect traffic movement into and out of the city and for how long each year? What is the compensation to South Australians for the lost space and amenity?
“And, most importantly, what of the cultural and wellbeing impact when the loss of green and open space is made permanent at a time when the State Government is promoting higher density living in the city and its surrounds?”
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